2019/04/12 by Dennis Zaritsky, Peter Behroozi, Zaritsky, Dennis +9
Chemistry · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA) #Calibration and Measurement Techniques #FOS: Physical sciences #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Spectroscopy and Laser Applications
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1904.06398
openalex publication_date 2019/04/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The circumgalactic medium (CGM), which harbors > 50% of all the baryons in a galaxy, is both the reservoir of gas for subsequent star formation and the depository of chemically processed gas, energy, and angular momentum from feedback. As such, the CGM obviously plays a critical role in galaxy evolution. We discuss the opportunity to image this component using recombination line emission, beginning with the early results coming from recent statistical detection of this emission to the final goal of realizing spectral-line images of the CGM in individual nearby galaxies. Such work will happen in the next decade and provide new insights on the galactic baryon cycle.